Although a fairly new contender, Nusa Penida is quickly creeping its way up the top of the list of Bali’s most popular tourist destinations. The jaw dropping coast lines, unusual landscape and milky blue waters are drawing daily visitors in by the hundreds. Although it’s easy enough to jump on a pre-organised (and very expensive) day tour, the best way to explore this undiscovered and stunning island is without a doubt by doing it yourself. Ditch the tour guides, find some cheap accommodation, grab a scooter and the island is yours for the taking.

So you want a slice of the good life down under, you’ve saved up and bought your plane tickets and you’ve broken the news to your Mum… but what visa do you need and how do you get it? How do you choose what city to move to? What do you do when you first get there? And what the hell does “grab us a sanger and a frozo from the servo” mean?!

Having taken the plunge last year when I moved from London to Brisbane, I’ve put together this comprehensive guide to moving down under in the hope that it will help (and persuade) anyone that’s considering the move themselves!

With stretches of white sand beaches, turquoise seas, scrubby emerald green jungles, tropical coral reefs, bustling cities, and historic Mayan ruins, it’s no surprise that Mexico is topping the charts of many travelers’ bucket lists. One of the most popular locations in Mexico is the Yucatan Peninsula – the south-easterly tip of the country that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea, and home to some of the most stunning destinations and experiences you will ever encounter.

The most wonderful thing about Indonesia is the incredible size of it. You could spend months there and still have thousands of places that you haven’t seen, 18,307 to be precise. That’s how many islands make up the whopping archipelago. Yes, Bali is amazing and will always be popular, but there are so many more treasures to be found in this paradisiacal pocket of the world that will have you feeling more “Eat-Pray-Love” than ever before. Here are my top 5 most unforgettable experiences in Indonesia.

The Philippines are a beach bum’s heaven on earth. There are over 7000 islands to choose from, so that’s a pretty good start, not to mention the glittering turquoise waters that are teeming with tropical fish, the plethora of secret lagoons hidden by enormous limestone cliffs, and the endless white sandy coves lined with palm trees and coconut shacks. Top all of that off with a frosty san miguel in hand and a fresh fish dinner while watching some of the most vivid sunsets you’ll ever see, and you have a recipe for an absolute dream.

A melting pot of culture, a futuristic metropolis, a city in a garden and a foodies heaven on earth – it’s no surprise Singapore is quickly working it’s way to the top of Asia’s most popular destinations. I strongly recommend making the most of a stopover here by extending your stay and soaking up all that this diverse place has to offer. Read on to discover my top reasons as to why you should make a detour in Singapore.

Often overshadowed by it’s glitzy and ever-popular neighbour across the water, Lombok is the explorer’s dream next door. Situated just east of Bali, Lombok is another beautiful gem that makes up the absolute treasure trove that is the Indonesian archipelago. With a gargantuan volcano complete with crater lakes and jungles, gushing waterfalls, world famous surf breaks and isolated paradisiac beaches… it’s definitely worth a few days on your itinerary. Have a read of my top 6 stops below to make your loop of Lombok truly spectacular.

North Stradbroke island is a beautiful spit of land just off the Gold Coast in sunny Queensland, Straya. As with all names in the aussie dictionary, it’s abbreviated and subsequently known to most as Straddie. My weekend in Straddie was a huge turning point in my ‘settling in’ time in Australia cos I gotta say, I completely fell in love with the place and I haven’t looked back since. Beaches, sunshine, kangaroos, dolphins, turtles, (…and sharks), it was the perfect cliché aussie combo us Brits dream about and I couldn’t recommend the place higher for a weekend away or as an extra stop off on a trip along the east coast.

The wonderful thing about Indonesia is the sheer size of the place, you could spend months there and still have thousands of places that you’ve not seen. 18,307 to be precise, as that’s how many islands make up the giant archipelago. Yes, Bali is amazing, but there is SO much more to Indonesia and that’s exactly what we discovered in the beautiful island of Flores.

Having spent three glorious months bouncing around Indonesia at the end of last year, I have since been the recipient of many Bali related travel enquiries. In fact, that’s actually what inspired me to start a blog – to put all of my experiences, adventures and top tips in one place so that when friends ask ‘what should I do, where should I eat, where can I find a turtle’, I can point them all in one direction and hope it helps them to fall in love with Bali as much as we did…

About Me

Hello! I'm Katy, a 20-something Brit living down under in search of sunshine. Have a scroll through What Katy Did for some handy travel guides, juicy photo diaries and to discover what I get up to while I'm adventuring around the world.
If you're looking for my more serious side, head to www.katyclapham.com to find out about my 9-5 as a freelance Marketing & Branding Consultant.